Adam Parness

Adam Parness has more than twenty-five years of experience in the music and technology businesses, with executive experience spanning business affairs, licensing, strategy, operations, and creative relations. Adam Parness operates Adam Parness Music Consulting and serves as a strategic advisor to music rightsholders, global brands, technology-based creative services companies, and firms investing in music and technology. Previously, Adam Parness was Global Head of Music Publishing at Spotify and earlier held positions at Pandora, Amazon, and Rhapsody. Adam Parness earned a Bachelor of Music from New York University.

Ali Lieberman

Ali Lieberman is Vice President of Product at Symphonic Distribution, where Ali Lieberman leads product strategy and AI business analysis. Ali Lieberman oversees tools that help independent artists and labels manage royalties, metadata, analytics, and business operations across the global music ecosystem. During a tenure at Symphonic, Ali Lieberman spearheaded the launch of TikTok Analytics and now leads an AI Business Analysis team responsible for tools including Release Campaign Builder and Aria. Before joining Symphonic, Ali Lieberman worked at SoundExchange and led the launch of Music Data Exchange.

Amanda Levine

Amanda Levine works at the intersection of brand strategy and sonic identity. As VP of Music & IP Licensing, Amanda Levine serves as a music supervisor and licensing strategist, specializing in curating and clearing music for global advertising campaigns, including work for State Farm, Procter & Gamble, and Gap Inc. Amanda Levine bridges the gap between major corporate brands and the music industry.

Amber Charania

Amber Charania is Associate Music Counsel for Publishing and Rights Management at YouTube, where she advises on music licensing deals and counsels product teams on music rights matters. Previously, she was the Vice President of Legal and Business Affairs at Downtown Music Holdings, where she worked on matters related to M&A, catalog acquisitions, and rights-holder agreements. She began her career as an entertainment attorney focused on music rights and earned her J.D. from Emory University School of Law. Amber was selected to join the 2024 New Member Class of the Recording Academy. She currently serves as Co-Vice Chair of the Membership Committee for the Austin chapter of Women in Music and sits on the board of the New York chapter of the Association of Independent Music Publishers.

Art Levy

Art Levy is an attorney with deep knowledge of the laws affecting creatives, artists, and innovators. Art Levy is VP, Business and Legal Affairs at Songtradr and continues to advise clients through The Levy Firm. Art Levy practiced at Thacher Proffitt & Wood and Proskauer Rose before forming The Levy Firm with Tom Levy. Art Levy later joined client Spirit Music Group as Senior Vice President of Business Affairs and Administration. Art Levy is also a principal of Music Management, an independent music publisher representing composers of hip-hop, rock, reggae, jazz, and folk music.

Benjamin Bailer

Benjamin Bailer is the Owner and Chief Executive of Bailer Music Publishing, an independent global publishing company with offices in Nashville, Munich, and London. Benjamin Bailer oversees a repertoire of more than 100,000 titles and focuses on the intersection of traditional publishing rights and modern technology infrastructure. Benjamin Bailer is pioneering internal automation and AI-driven tools to support multi-territorial administration, metadata alignment, and royalty tracking.

Brooke Primont

Brooke Primont is Executive Vice President of Global Sync at Concord Music Publishing, where Brooke Primont oversees publishing sync operations across teams in the U.S., UK, Germany, and Australia. Brooke Primont joined Concord after roles at Razor & Tie, Cherry Lane Music Publishing, and BMI. Brooke Primont has extensive experience in music pitching, music licensing, and clearance, including placements with major brands, film, television, video games, and other media.

Chris Barkley

Chris Barkley joined NMPA in 2024 and serves as Senior Vice President of Government Affairs. Chris Barkley spent more than two decades in senior roles on Capitol Hill, including service in the House of Representatives and the United States Senate. Most recently, Chris Barkley was Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy for Senator Mitt Romney. Chris Barkley has also held policy roles for Senator John Barrasso, Senator Ben Sasse, the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, Senator Tom Coburn, and the House Committee on Government Reform.

Daniel Abowd

Daniel Abowd is President & General Counsel of The Royalty Network, a family-owned independent music publisher founded in 1994 that services a catalog of hundreds of thousands of works on behalf of songwriters across the globe. Daniel Abowd is also a practicing attorney and trained litigator with degrees in music, economics, and music business from Cornell University and NYU. Daniel Abowd serves on the Independent Publishers Advisory Council of the National Music Publishers Association and has published articles examining issues facing songwriters and the broader music industry.

Delphine Dalquiè-Dickson

Born in France and raised in Spain, Delphine Dalquiè-Dickson holds a master’s degree in intellectual property law and has worked as legal counsel in film and TV animation production companies for more than 20 years. Since 2012, Delphine Dalquiè-Dickson has served as Managing Director at 22D Music North America. 22D Music is an independent music rights management group focused on audiovisual industries, offering administration and sub-publishing, score production and financing, music supervision, soundtrack release, and neighboring rights administration. In 2026, 22D partnered with Velvetica, expanding a client and creative roster across multiple markets.

Edward Ginis

Edward Ginis is an entrepreneur and investor with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, content distribution, and technology. Edward Ginis has expertise spanning distributed systems, content supply chain design, web3, AR/VR, spatial computing, and AI. Edward Ginis co-founded OpenPlay in 2013 and has also advised technology startups and co-founded Proto.

Elizabeth Moody

Elizabeth Moody has built a career as an executive and lawyer at the intersection of music and technology and has represented AI companies since 2020. Drawing on prior leadership roles at Pandora, YouTube, and Google, Elizabeth Moody now advises companies such as Roblox, Udio, ElevenLabs, and other startups developing new business models in music and technology. Elizabeth Moody also advises rights holders and nonprofit initiatives related to responsible AI, licensing, and emerging media strategy.

Elizabeth Rodda

Elizabeth Rodda oversees peermusic’s Latin initiatives, repertoire, and new signings across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, South America, Mexico, and Central America, while also representing the company in global society relationships. Elizabeth Rodda previously served as Senior Vice President of International Affairs at ASCAP and has more than twenty years of experience in music publishing and collection society work.

Emily L. Chapuis

Emily L. Chapuis is General Counsel and Associate Register of Copyrights for the United States Copyright Office. Emily L. Chapuis oversees an extensive portfolio of regulatory, litigation, and policy matters and advises congressional offices and federal agencies on copyright issues. Emily L. Chapuis previously served as Acting General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel of the Office. Before joining the Copyright Office, Emily L. Chapuis was a commercial litigator and partner at a national law firm focused on copyright law, including music licensing, rate-setting, and infringement matters.

Glen Ballard

Six-time Grammy Award winner Glen Ballard is one of popular music’s most accomplished producers and songwriters, with records that have sold more than 150 million copies worldwide.

Glen Ballard’s credits include co-writing “Man In The Mirror,” heard on Michael Jackson’s Bad, and producing and co-writing Wilson Phillips’ debut album, which included the number one singles “Hold On,” “Release Me,” and “You’re In Love.” Glen Ballard is also widely known for co-writing and producing Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill, one of the most successful debut albums in music history.

Additional credits include work with Aerosmith, Dave Matthews Band, Christina Aguilera, and the song “Believe” from The Polar Express, which earned Grammy, Golden Globe, and Academy Award recognition.

Graham Davies

Graham Davies has an extensive background in the music industry, working across digital transformation, policy, and advocacy. Graham Davies advocates for the world’s largest music streaming services and has testified before the UK House of Commons, the U.S. Senate, and the Canadian House of Commons. Before leading the Digital Media Association, Graham Davies was CEO of The Ivors Academy and previously held senior roles in collective rights management, including work related to the International Copyright Enterprise. Graham Davies also serves on the board of The Mechanical Licensing Collective.

Heather Johnson

Heather Johnson has worked at the intersection of tech, gaming, and music since 2019, when Heather Johnson took over as “Chief Everything Officer” at Ninety9Lives, a label and publisher focused on music safe for content creators on Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok. In 2021, Heather Johnson joined the board of A2IM with a mission to help bridge the gaps between the tech, gaming, and music industries while protecting creatives’ rights. Heather Johnson now works at Sub Pop and also serves as Co-Chair of the Seattle Chapter of Women in Music.

Jashima Wadehra

Jashima Wadehra is a Punjabi-New Yorker and the founder of Ode, a multicultural marketing and talent management agency. Ode creates content, produces events, manages talent, and consults on go-to-market strategy. Jashima Wadehra has worked with companies and organizations including Universal Music Canada, Mass Appeal, Audiomack, Netflix, Tunecore, Amazon, Spotify, VEVO, Lincoln Center, and the Recording Academy. Jashima Wadehra focuses on helping underrepresented artists retain equity, with specialization in the South Asian diaspora and subcontinent.

Jennifer Newman Sharpe

Jennifer Newman Sharpe is General Counsel and Head of Business & Legal Affairs at Exceleration Music, a partnership of global music industry leaders investing in the future of independent labels and artists. Jennifer Newman Sharpe oversees day-to-day business affairs for Exceleration’s partner labels and publishing catalogs and leads the legal aspects of the company’s investment and acquisition activities. Jennifer Newman Sharpe currently serves as an advisor to the Women in Music board and previously served on the advisory boards of A2IM and Merlin.

Linda Bloss-Baum

Linda Bloss-Baum has a deep understanding of how public policy is shaped by legislative, legal, regulatory, public relations, and industry forces in Washington, D.C. Before joining American University, Linda Bloss-Baum was Senior Vice President of Government Relations and Public Affairs at SoundExchange. Linda Bloss-Baum also served as Counsel to the House Energy and Commerce Committee and represented major content companies in Washington, D.C., including Time Warner, Warner Music Group, and NBC Universal/Universal Music Group. Linda Bloss-Baum serves as Government Affairs Lead and sits on the Board of Directors of the Songwriters of North America.

Melissa Somosky

Melissa Somosky was most recently a Senior Content Acquisition Manager on Amazon Music’s Sync team, where Melissa Somosky oversaw music for the brand’s retail mass advertising division and Amazon Music’s recorded performance series. Before Amazon, Melissa Somosky was Director of Global Rights at A&E Television Networks, overseeing commercial music clearances and rights licensing. Melissa Somosky is currently a music consultant for brands and advertising.

Michael Simon

Michael S. Simon has served as President and CEO of the Harry Fox Agency since 2012 within SESAC Music Group’s Music Services division. Since joining HFA in 2001, Michael Simon has helped drive the evolution of the company’s mechanical licensing business. Before joining HFA, Michael Simon served as Executive Vice President of Business Affairs and General Counsel of Razorfish, Inc., and as President of Razorfish Studios. Earlier in a career, Michael Simon founded Simon Ventures, served as Senior Director of Legal Affairs at PolyGram Records, and practiced entertainment and intellectual property law.

Morna Willens

Morna Willens is Chief Policy Officer for the Recording Industry Association of America, where Morna Willens leads advocacy at the state, federal, and international levels on issues ranging from trade and tax to digital piracy and generative AI. Morna Willens has worked on measures supporting human creators, including efforts related to the ELVIS Act and the NO FAKES Act. Earlier in a career, Morna Willens helped advance licensing reform tied to the Music Modernization Act and the CLASSICS Act and previously worked at the Glover Park Group and on Capitol Hill.

Shira Perlmutter

Shira Perlmutter is the Register of Copyrights and Director of the U.S. Copyright Office. Appointed in October 2020, Shira Perlmutter advises Congress and executive branch agencies on copyright policy and directs administration of important provisions of the U.S. Copyright Act. Before that appointment, Shira Perlmutter served as Chief Policy Officer and Director for International Affairs at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Shira Perlmutter has also held roles at IFPI, Time Warner, WIPO, and previously the U.S. Copyright Office as the first Associate Register for Policy and International Affairs.

Spek

Spek is Founder and CEO of PopArabia and Executive Vice President of International and Emerging Markets at Reservoir. Spek began a music career as a recording artist with Dream Warriors and later founded PopArabia in 2011. Under Spek’s leadership, PopArabia expanded across the Middle East and North Africa and into South Asia through PopIndia. Spek also founded ESMAA, a rights management organization based in Abu Dhabi, and serves on the board of CARAS, MusiCounts, and the Juno Awards.

Thando Makhunga

Thando Makhunga is a dynamic South African music industry executive and thought leader. As Managing Director of Downtown Music Publishing Africa, Thando Makhunga drives strategic growth, negotiates major deals, and spearheads catalogue acquisitions across Africa and beyond. In 2025, Thando Makhunga was named to Billboard’s Global Power Players list and appointed Chairperson of Music Ecosystems. Thando Makhunga also serves on the board of CAPASSO, serves as Chairperson of the Music Publishers Association of South Africa, and was formally appointed in April 2026 to the Southern African Music Rights Organization MoI Review Task Team. Earlier in a career, Thando Makhunga worked at Primedia Broadcasting and also serves as Chairperson of RAD.

Tom DeSavia

Before joining Concord Music Publishing as SVP A&R, Tom DeSavia was Head of Creative Services for SONGS Music Publishing, where Tom DeSavia managed a large portion of the roster. Tom DeSavia also spent many years at ASCAP as SVP of Membership and held a prior role as VP of A&R at Elektra Entertainment. Tom DeSavia has served on the boards of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and NARAS, and co-authored Under the Big Black Sun: A Personal History of L.A. Punk with John Doe.